The following is from Eileen Chang’s novel, Little Reunions. After going to school in Hong Kong, Julie is living in Shanghai, where she meets the charming, but traitorous Chih-Yung. Eileen Chang gained notoriety for her essays and stories published in 1940s Shanghai, and in the 1950s was commissioned by the U.S. Information Service to write two novels as anti-communist propaganda. This is the first time Little Reunions has been translated into English.

Inthesilenceshecouldmakeoutapopularlovesongplayingover theradiosomedistanceaway.Tohearafolksylovesongatthatmoment made them both burst out laughing. It was not the sort of musiconeusuallyheardintheupperfloorsofanapartmentbuilding—itbelongedinthestreets.Yetatthatmoment,eventhehackneyed lyricssoundedprofound.Everysooftentheycouldclearlymakeout alineortwo.

“Hey,thesesongsareactuallyquitegood.”Hewaslistening,too. Although Julie couldn’t be sure, she thought it resembledan